Home Organizing Tips: 6 Easy Ways to Reduce Clutter

Home organization gets easier when you stop trying to fix the whole house at once. The most useful place to start is with the small areas that create repeated frustration: art supplies spilling out of bins, water bottles taking over cabinets, paperwork you can never find and pantry shelves that make it impossible to see what you already own.

These tips came from Jane’s Addiction Organization in our original 2023 article, but the ideas are practical well beyond New Year’s resolution season.

1. Give Kids’ Art Supplies One Home

Start by throwing away dried-out paints, dead markers and broken crayons. Then group the remaining supplies by type and keep them in one easy-to-reach place. Art carts, rotating organizers and divided bins can work especially well because children can see what they have and put it back without needing an adult to reorganize everything.

2. Corral Reusable Water Bottles

Reusable bottles can become one of those categories that quietly multiply. Toss damaged lids and chewed straws, then choose one storage zone. A deep drawer works well for families with children because everyone can reach it. A horizontal bottle rack can also keep bottles from toppling over in a cabinet.

3. Organize the Pantry by Category

Pantry bins work best when they help you see inventory instead of simply hiding clutter. Group similar items together—snacks, breakfast foods, baking supplies or lunchbox items—and put the most frequently used categories where family members can reach them.

The goal is not to make the pantry look like a showroom. It is to make it obvious what you have, what is running low and what needs to be used before buying more.

4. Give Each Person a Paperwork File

An expandable accordion file can simplify household paperwork. Create one for each family member and use it for school reports, medical records, insurance paperwork, vaccination records and other documents you may need to find quickly.

For documents containing sensitive personal information, store the file somewhere secure rather than leaving it in an open family command center.

5. Use Turntables for Small, Hard-to-Reach Items

Turntable organizers are useful for cabinets and shelves where small containers tend to disappear in the back. They can work for spices, oils, vitamins and similar items, although medication should always be stored according to its safety instructions and out of reach of children when appropriate.

6. Repurpose Organizers for Closets

Some of the best organization products were designed for something else. Acrylic dividers or clutch holders, for example, can keep small handbags upright instead of stacked in a pile. The same idea works throughout the house: choose storage based on the shape of what you own, not necessarily the label on the organizer.

How to Make Organizing Habits Stick

The easiest systems are the ones that require the least effort to maintain. Keep frequently used items where people actually use them, avoid containers that are difficult to open, and leave a little extra room rather than packing every bin completely full.

If you are pairing home organization with broader goal-setting, our guide to journals and planners for goals and habits offers another way to turn a vague resolution into a routine you can actually follow.

Bottom Line

You do not need to organize an entire home in one weekend. Pick one recurring clutter problem, give those items a clear home and make the system easy enough that everyone can use it. Once that works, move on to the next problem area.